Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Spring Onions

I spent yesterday afternoon readying my garden for summer.  I transferred all my tomato, cucumber and watermelon seedlings into the ground from the flat that I had started them in.  I weeded, removed old broccoli plants, and picked some beautiful carrots.  And then this crazy storm hit.  Literally in about 10 minutes it went from a sunny, cloudless and almost muggy hot day to what I imagine Kansas looks like before a tornado.  The temperature dropped 15 degrees, the sky turned dark and the wind started whipping through.  You could hear crashes throughout the neighborhood of trash cans being blown around.  I was seriously worried that we were in for some major storm.

My first thought was to all of those new little plants I had just gotten in the ground.  What would driving rain do to those precious seedlings that I grew from seeds carefully preserved from last years tomatoes?  Would they be crushed or washed away because their roots hadn't had time to take hold?

I'm happy to report that all is well today.  Within a half hour of the initial change in weather it was sunny and calm again.  We did eventually get some rain overnight, but upon inspection this morning, my seedlings are still standing tall and ready to grow into what I hope will be an abundance of fruits and vegetables this summer.  Phew!

In the meantime, I'm happily enjoying all that the spring has to offer.  This week my CSA box came to me full of English pea pods, which I happen to love, love, love.  I decided to reprise an old standard of my Mom's- noodles with bacon, cream and peas.  Only instead of cream I went with a carbonara sauce, my favorite way to eat spaghetti (simply made from eggs, cheese, and some pasta cooking water).  I loved how the sweet peas and spring onions cut through the richness of the sauce and played off the salty bacon.  Simple and just what I needed.

While the summer tomatoes are still a long way off, I'm pretty sure the peas, asparagus, onions, carrots and artichokes will be enough to carry me through the spring.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Spring Onions
Serves 4

1/2 lb dry spaghetti
4 slices bacon or 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 heaping cup shelled peas (you can use frozen peas if you can't find fresh ones at the market)
1 large spring onion or leek, white and light green parts coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
3 eggs (the fresher, the better)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a large saute pan, cook the bacon or pancetta until crisp.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  To the hot pan, add the spring onions or leeks.  Turn the heat to medium and slowly cook the onions until they are very soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).  The leeks and pasta should take about the same amount of time to cook, so when you put the leeks in the pan add the spaghetti to the pot of water.

With about 2 minutes left for the pasta to cook, add the peas in with the spaghetti.  Before draining, scoop out about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water and reserve.

In a large bowl, beat the three eggs.  Scrape the onions and any remaining bacon drippings from the pan into the eggs and stir in the bacon and pecorino cheese.  Toss the cooked spaghetti, peas and half of the reserved cooking water into the bowl and quickly stir.  The heat from the spaghetti will cook the eggs.  If you'd like a looser sauce, add more of the pasta cooking water a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.  You can also toss all the ingredients in the saute pan to save yourself having to wash the bowl, but I've had a hard time with the pan being too hot and scrambling my eggs before I can get them mixed with the pasta.

Serve with additional grated cheese for topping.

Strawberry Rice Pudding with Orange and Ginger

I was standing in my backyard a few nights ago firing up my grill for dinner.  It had been a beautiful summer-like day.  The kind that, had I not had errands to run, I would have spent on the beach with my little one.  As I was standing there with the late afternoon sun was shining right on me, I closed my eyes and let the sun's heat warm my face.  I was surrounded by my thriving gardens.  In the breeze was the heady aroma of the citrus blossoms.  And at that moment I realized that I was truly in love with living here in Southern California. 

There are many things to love about living here.  The beautiful beaches, the temperate climate, the almost year-round sunshine.  My drive from town to town takes me through fields bursting with fruits and vegetables thanks to the fantastic soil and perfect temperatures.  I love being able to see where the food that my family eats comes from.  And the ease at which I can grow my own food right in my backyard amazes me.  It practically grows all by itself.  It's truly a little piece of heaven here on Earth.


Right now many of those fields that I drive past are covered in strawberries.  It's amazing to see how quickly they grow here and to watch their harvest.  The workers spend all day, the sun beating down on them, sprinting up and down the rows with full flats of berries.  It's an impressive sight.

It just so happens that on the same day that I had my epiphany about loving my newly adopted state, I had picked up a half flat of strawberries from a local farm.  The variety is called sea scape and they are a super sweet little berry perfect for eating right from the container.  My boys gobbled up several before we even got them into the car.  The ones we didn't eat right away became a jar of jam paired with lime and a rich rice pudding with orange and ginger.  The jam is quite tasty, but the rice pudding is nothing short of wonderful.  Sweet and creamy with the slightest hint of warmth from the ginger and tang of the orange, it's my new favorite way to use strawberries.

Strawberry Rice Pudding with Orange and Ginger
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande.  Serves 4

1 tsp orange zest
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (depends on the sweetness of your berries, taste one first!)
2 slices of peeled ginger about the size of a quarter and 1/4 inch thick
1/8 cup water
1 1/4 cups chopped strawberries (about 1/2 pint)
1 tbs orange juice
1/2 cup short grain rice (such as arborio or canaroli), rinsed until the water runs clear
2 cups low-fat milk

additional strawberries for slicing

In a small pot, bring the orange zest, water, ginger and sugar to a boil.  Add the strawberries and orange juice and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

In the meantime, in a medium pot heat the milk to a simmer.  Add the rice and stir.  Continue to simmer the milk and rice mixture, stirring often to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pan.  After about 20-25 minutes the rice will have absorbed most of the milk and the mixture will have become quite thick.  Remove the ginger slices from the strawberry mixture and discard.  Pour the remaining mixture into the pot with the rice and milk and stir.  Continue stirring with the mixture at a simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through, another 5 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

You can serve the pudding warm or you can cool it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.  Top with additional sliced strawberries.

Home Made Mayonnaise- My Way

As condiments go, mayonnaise was never my favorite.  I can tolerate a bit in potato or chicken salad.  But ask me what I want on a sandwich and I'll tell you either spicy mustard or nothing.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I'd rather have a dry sandwich than one with a layer of greasy, slippery mayo.  Blech!  Oh, and please, don't put it on my burger.  In fact, I'd prefer BBQ sauce to any of the conventional burger toppings.

My husband, on the other hand, is a tried and true mayonnaise lover.  If I switch brands, or even try to slip in one of the lower fat varieties of his favorite, he can tell.  It's some kind of supernatural talent.  Or maybe it's all in his head.  As soon as he sees the label he's already decided that he will be disappointed.  It's infuriating!  So imagine my surprise when he slathered some of my home made mayonnaise on his BLT the other night instead of his beloved.  Score one for me!

If you've never made, or even tried, a home made mayo then you have no idea what you're missing.  It's worlds (dare I say light years) better than the stuff from the supermarket.  It tastes fresh and tangy and not at all greasy.  It puts the other stuff to shame.  And I, for one, will continue my boycott of store bought mayonnaise in favor of my own garlicky, herby, silky, made-to-order version.  It's great on sandwiches, burgers and even as a dip for veggies like steamed and grilled artichokes or asparagus (just do as the restaurants do and call it aoili!).

Home Made Mayonnaise
Makes about 2/3 cup

There are an infinite number of ways you can customize this recipe.  I find that I usually end up with herbs and some smoky spices going into mine.  Sometimes some roasted garlic takes the place of  the raw garlic if I've thought ahead.  Or perhaps a roasted or chipotle pepper makes its way in instead of the herbs.  It's really all up to you!

1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup flavorless oil (such as canola or grapeseed)

Optional add ins:
2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh herbs (my favorites are basil, parsley, thyme and/or chives)
3/4 tsp paprika, smoked paprika or piment d'espalette
1/2 of a roasted pepper, chopped
1 chopped chipotle pepper
several cloves of roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic

Add all ingredients except the oil into a food processor or blender.  Blend until completely incorporated.  With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a stream through the food tube of the processor or the hole in the top of the blender.  The mixture will become thick, or emulsified.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  You can also add a bit of water (maybe another tsp) if the mixture seems too thick for you.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  The mayo will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

If you don't have a food processor or blender you can still make your own mayonnaise.  Simply chop the garlic and any add in ingredients very finely and place them in a medium bowl along with the egg yolk, lemon juice, water and salt.  Then blend them together using a whisk.  Slowly add the oil whisking continuously.  It takes a bit of elbow grease, but it's do-able.

Nutty Carrot Snack Bread

My mom makes a killer carrot cake.  Layers of moist sweet cake filled with a sort of a pecan caramel and topped with billowy cream cheese frosting.  She even does the little carrots piped on top in orange frosting.  It's the most incredibly decadent cake which takes days to make and is best only indulged in once a decade.  But it's worth every calorie, trust me. The recipe takes up two and a half tightly packed pages to completely describe.  I have never attempted to make it (though I did buy the cookbook just to have it on hand should the mood strike me).

If you're curious, you'll find it in the Frog Commissary Cookbook.  Crazy name, I know.  I don't know where the Frog part comes from, but the Commissary is a restaurant back home in Philadelphia famous for this very carrot cake.

This bread is NOT that carrot cake.  By a long shot.  But don't dismiss this sweet little bread as the ugly step-sister of the carrot cake.  What it does have going for it is a wonderfully moist crumb, caramelly brown sugar and a nuttiness that reminds me of my favorite part of that cake- the pecan caramel filling.  Not to mention that the bread is packed with the nutrient rich carrots and the good-for-you oils of the nuts.  It's the perfect after school snack that you won't feel guilty for indulging in.  And I promise, your kids will like it too.  Even my incredibly picky 3 year old asked for seconds thirds.

Oh, and the only fat added?  A tablespoon of hazelnut oil spread over two loaves of bread.  Seriously, that's it?  Yes, it is...

Nutty Carrot Snack Bread
Makes 2 8x4 inch loaves (or in my case 4 6 1/2x 2 inch loaves)

Though I used walnuts, I would venture to guess that pecans or hazelnuts would work equally well in this recipe.  Perhaps even pistachios.  It's all up to you.  And while it is a pain, shredding the carrots on a box grater (as opposed to using the shredding blade of a food processor) results in carrots with a much finer and more pleasing texture.  It's worth doing the shredding by hand.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour which is milled more finely that the regular stuff)
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbs hazelnut oil (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups finely shredded carrot (about 3 large carrots)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Butter two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.  I was giving gifts, so I found smaller 6 1/2 x 2 inch paper pans and used 4 of those.

In a bowl, mix together the flours, ground nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar together.  You can do this with a mixer or by hand.  Drizzle in the hazelnut oil (if using) and mix.  Add the applesauce and carrots and stir until well incorporated.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Repeat with the other 2/3 of the flour mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the two (or four) prepared pans.  Place the pans in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes for the larger pans and 30-35 minutes for the small ones.  The bread is done when a tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean and the bread springs back when gently pressed.

Cool completely on a baking rack.  The bread will keep well wrapped on the counter for 3-4 days.  You could also wrap the bread in foil and place in a zip top freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Momma Z's Old Fahioned Potato Salad

So when it's Easter and 75 degrees out on Southern California, what do you do?  You take your Easter dinner to the beach, of course!  Which is exactly what my family did.  And honestly, it was one of the most pleasant meals I've had in quite a while.  We had an old fashioned meal, including my husband's clove studded ham and his mother's potato salad.  Comfort food to the max.  Then we played on the beach...

This is my favorite beach in Cali.  The waves are calm, it's hardly ever crowded, and we always spot a ton of wildlife.  Sea lions sunbathe on the protected cove across the street from the beach and are usually playing in the surf.  Watching the brown pelicans dive for fish is like a study in aerodynamics.  But on this day it was pretty calm and animal free.  Until we spotted several pods of dolphins going by. They were jumping and playing not more than 50 feet off the ocean's edge. It was a truly spectacular way to end a wonderful meal with my family.

Momma Z's Old Fashioned Potato Salad
Makes enough to feed 6-8 people as a side dish.

This is not a fancy salad.  You won't find a bunch of herbs, crazy techniques, or hard to find ingredients.  What you will find is a potato salad to convert any non-potato salad folks (myself included) and straight forward, simple ingredients.  Truly the most comforting of comfort foods.

3 lbs waxy potatoes (such as red skinned or yukon gold)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
4 chopped, hard-boiled eggs
1/2-2/3 cup mayonaise
1/2 tsp kosher salt
pinch black pepper

Place the potatoes whole into a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water.  Place the pot on the stove and heat until the water boils.  Reduce heat so that the water remains at a vigorous simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.  This should take about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.  Drain the potatoes and keep warm (warm, but not hot potatoes will peel easily and absorb the dressing better than cold potatoes).

Toss the onions, celery and eggs into a large bowl.  Carefully peel and coarsely chop the potatoes and place them in the bowl too.  Add 1/2 cup mayonaise, the salt and pepper to the bowl and carefully mix.  You want the mayonaise to coat the potatoes, but not be gloppy.  If it seems dry, add an additional tablespoon or two of mayo.  Taste for seasoning. 

Chill until ready to serve.

Nana's Easter Bread

There are a few traditions in my family that I would never mess with.  This bread is one of them.  My Nana makes this bread every Easter with the recipe that she brought with her from her little hilltop home in Southern Italy.  I've seen Easter Bread in many places over the years, even this month's Bon Apetit featured it in one of it's articles.  But I could never make the bread with any recipe other than Nana's.  It would just feel wrong.

I can remember making dozens of loaves at a time with Nana when I was a girl.  It's just not Easter without a loaf of the sweet and slightly licorice-flavored bread.  So when I grew up and got married I asked her for the recipe.  What I got was a small slip of paper with a recipe written in my grandmother's personal blend of English and Italian.  My mom jotted a few notes of instruction and the bottom, but other than that I was on my own.  What a recipe!  Every year I struggle to reduce the recipe down to an amount that seems reasonable for my family and a few gifts.  And even though I know exactly what's in the bread, I always spend a few moments puzzling over what "anici siggi" are.  Oh yeah, anise seeds.  I love my grandmother's recipe, but this year I finally actually wrote down the recipe in my own words so I don't have to spend time translating her "Ital-ish".

What I wish I had done, and what my mom still promises to do one day, was to take pictures of all the different shapes Nana used to make with the dough.  Every little town in Italy has their own special version of the bread and it seemed like Nana made not only what she grew up with, but a few special shapes of her own creation.  There were the traditional twisted rings, usually with a hard boiled egg nestled in the space where the two ends of the twist met.  But there were also doves, baskets, and a little doll with an egg for her face.  I loved those little doll-babies. 

Nana's Easter Bread
Makes 4 8-inch diameter ring loaves

There are no colored sprinkles on these loaves which I've seen on many other versions.  Nana's bread is plain and simple and that's the way I like it.  You can decorate them with an egg tucked into the meeting place of the twisted ends.  Twist a couple of small pieces of dough around the egg for a more finished look.

2 envelopes (4 1/2 tsp) yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
5 eggs
1 tbs vanilla
1/2 cup milk (warmed a bit, but not hot)
8 to 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbs anise seeds
8 tbs (1 stick) butter, very soft but not melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, water and 2 tsp sugar.  Stir to dissolve the yeast.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it looks foamy and smells of yeast.

Add the eggs, milk and vanilla to the bowl and stir with a whisk or fork to break up the eggs.  Attach your bowl to your mixer and add in the cup of sugar.  Mix briefly using the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 7 cups of the flour and the anise seeds.  Let the mixer knead the dough for a minute.  With the mixer still on low, add the butter by the tablespoon mixing in between each addition.  Your dough will probably still be very sticky, so add more flour to it by the 1/4 cup until it forms a soft and still slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  You should have added a total of about 8 cups flour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough, adding flour as necessary, until you have a dough that is soft and no longer sticking to your fingers or the counter.  This should take about 5 minutes and maybe another 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour.  Set the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.  Let the dough rise in a warm spot in the kitchen until it is doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and cut it into 4 equal parts.  Cut each quarter into two pieces and roll each piece into a log about 14 inches long.  Pinch one end of the two pieces together, then working from that end, twist one over the other until you have a tight twist.  Pinch the bottom end together.  Bring the two ends together to form a ring and place the loaf onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Repeat with the other quarters of the dough.  Cover the loaves lightly with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for a half hour.

Brush the loaves with an egg wash made of 1 beaten egg and a tbs water.  Place into the hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans back to front and top to bottom about halfway through the baking time.  The loaves will be nicely golden on top when they are finished.  Let them cool on a baking rack.  You can store them wrapped tightly in aluminum foil for a few days or for longer storage, put them in the refrigerator. 

Slice off a good sized piece and dunk into your morning coffee or enjoy for a great afternoon snack.